My kids, contrary to my instruction, feed the cats on the patio. The chickens have figured this out, and are constantly lurking and pooping on the patio/around the pool. Everybody chases them off every time, but they are "ignant" birds ..... at least they be stubborn. Anyway, has anyone tried a plastic owl to keep them out of an area that you want to protect.

I am sure that the owl would have to be moved around or they would catch on...even tho' they "ignant". The goofy birds have acres of forage, but I guess an easy meal is best.

Any other suggestions?

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"Fear not the night. Fear that which walks the night. I am that which walks the night, BUT only EVIL need fear me..."-Lt. Col. David Grossman

I put an owl in with the corn this year when the squirrels were eating all my corn. I put it up one evening about dark and the next morning when I left out for work, I ran 4 of those boogers out of that corn. With our chickens, there is no stopping where they go. That is why we can not leave them out of the coop for very long if we let them out. Maybe a motion switch hooked to the hose pipe mounted on the patio?

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

I'll second the rubber snake idea but it also depends on what kind of chickens you have. Flighty stuff like leghorns or buttercups are easier to scare than cochins or brahmas. I currently have a cochin/australorp hen trying to set in my wifes kitchen window box. The leghorns won't come close because of the dogs but she just climbs up and goes to town. My wife can open the window and water plants all around her and that bird just sits there like it's the most natural thing in the world.

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If it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger... Or maims you for life.

Well, they are not flighty enough, I am guessing. They are Barred Rocks. I'll keep working on it.

Iddee, LOL. I might hafta take my wife out there too. Seriously... :evil: They all get in a hurry leaving for school or whatever and have been guilty of putting food out there to save time.

They all are pretty religious about washing down the patio, so that is good. And my 8 yoa son would be more than happy to patrol with his BB gun.....That might be the answer :) We might be having chicken dinner sooner than planned. :shock:

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"Fear not the night. Fear that which walks the night. I am that which walks the night, BUT only EVIL need fear me..."-Lt. Col. David Grossman

LOL, I have the same problem. Remodeled and completely changed the facade of the house...just so the chickens could have a brand new, beautiful porch to poop on. They really liked roosting on the pretty little wood pile.

No cat food out there, but I have to put the dog's water in the planting beds, about 20 feet away from the porch. And then I have an free, invisible fence--me always chasing chickens to the edge of the cement. Punishment for not running consists of me trying to pet them. They hate that! Works well.

Ive had mixed results on the plastic owl. I planted some buckwheat and placed one nearby to keep the doves from eating the seed. It seems to have worked better if i switched areas on him every couple of days. My chickens are a curious lot though, nothing is really gonna keep them ran off from anywhere.

I have had chickens for years now. My wife got them as a wedding present if you can believe that. I tried to clean several roosters about 5 or 7 years ago for supper. Not for me anymore. Call me a wuss, but that was too much when I can get it ready to cook at the store. Too many dang feathers.

Chickens are a lot like people in that they'll take a handout over work anyday.

I feed my chickens in the evening, about 30 minutes before sundown, kind of a bedtime snack. When it gets late in the afternoon and anyone walks past the chicken yard they all make a mad dash for the gate. When we go into feed them they gather around your feet so tight you can't walk. I have gotten into the habit, now, of "ice skating" through the chicken yard. Even then I still manage to step on some of their toes. I have 1 rooster who comes over and pecks the toe of my boot wanting to be fed 1st.

One thing I've noticed, roosters take their hens by force and sneak attack, dinner time also means mating time. But the turkeys are much more sedate. The hens will actually pick out the tom of their desire and then go over and sits down in front of him. It becomes a problem when you are the tom of their eye and another nearby tom desides to do the honors while the hen is squatted between your feet. Makes it hard to walk too.

Tonight I'm fixing roast turkey for dinner. I have 2 rules for the hen/tukey yard, all mean birds and all egg eaters end up on the table.

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Life is a school. What have you learned? :brian: The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

If you can break the cat feeding habbit and find them another station they may loose intrest in the porch. If not theres always the BB gun. I saw a you tube video of some one that was skkinning the chickens. Skinless chicken isn't good for every kind of cooking but it beats dealing with all the feathers. Of course untill you can break the people problem your don't have any hope of breaking the animal one.

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You don't need a parachute to sky dive.... you do how ever need one to sky dive twice. KJ4QMH.

If fake owls worked I'd be out of business. LOL Now if only I could interest someone in this nice collection of poop streaked owls that I have collected from various jobs over the years. Fencing is your best option, with the chickens on the inside of course. Sorry but I don't do free range predator buffets with my livestock. Pen the birds.

you might try getting one of those big feeders that they can eat out of all day. put it away from the patio and maybe they will retrain themselves..... if you can keep the cat food off the patio for a few days

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

I put the entry rug on the porch while mopping the floor yesterday, and they got it. Really need a new pressure washer, the hose just doesn't cut it. And sadly, they love the front beds, so I have mulch everywhere. Sigh.

I put the entry rug on the porch while mopping the floor yesterday, and they got it. Really need a new pressure washer, the hose just doesn't cut it. And sadly, they love the front beds, so I have mulch everywhere. Sigh.

My birds like to make nests in deep mulch.Sounds like you have a daily egg hunt, now if you had Auracanas you could do Easter every day.

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Life is a school. What have you learned? :brian: The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

We have two hen houses, one for older chickens and one for younger chickens. Currently, all chickens (that lay) are using the nesting box in the new chicken's house, but old and new eat at the old chicken's house. Even though both offer food and nesting boxes. They all hang together now so we'll be combining them soon.

We have a new nesting box. Well, new to the chickens. It is the lid of a cat litter box (with a door). I swear I didn't do it. But they like it. As for me, I find cat litter boxes in the strangest places.